What an Alexa Red Ring Means and How to Fix It

Publish date: 2024-02-15

The Amazon Echo makes it easy to troubleshoot your device by pairing primary color lights with potential issues. Although a red light might seem like the worst possible situation, it's actually much easier to fix than you might think.

Here's what the Alexa red ring light means and how to make it go away so you can continue to use your Echo like normal.

Why Does My Alexa Have a Red Ring?

Any Amazon Echo will display different colors if it has problems functioning properly. Each color means something different.

When you see a red ring on Alexa it could mean the microphone has been turned off. Alexa will no longer listen to your commands until the microphone has been turned back on.

If you are using the Amazon Echo Show, the red light bar can also indicate there is something wrong with your camera's connection.

Related: What Is an Amazon Echo Show and Who Is It For?

An Alexa red circle can also appear because the microphone button on the Echo was pressed and it disabled the function. There could also be something wrong with your internet connection or device.

How to Fix Your Alexa Red Ring

There are several methods to troubleshoot your Alexa red circle depending on the potential problem. Go through the methods one by one to eliminate possibilities to get your Amazon Echo working again.

Enable Your Echo Microphone

It's an easy fix to get your microphone set back up with your Amazon Echo. A microphone button is located on the top of the Echo that you can press to enable and disable the feature.

Simply press the button and the red light on your Alexa device will automatically turn off. Alexa should be able to hear your commands but if that doesn't work, reset the device.

Reset Your Amazon Echo

Since there is a wide variety of different Amazon Echo devices, the factory reset procedure for each one is a bit different. But the good news is that you can also factory reset using the Amazon Alexa app for iOS or Android.

  • Open the Alexa app
  • Select Devices on the bottom bar
  • Choose Echo & Alexa
  • Select the name of your Echo device and then scroll down to Factory Reset
  • The orange light on your Amazon Echo means that your command for factory reset has been accepted and Alexa is going through the resetting process.

    Once the orange light turns off and on, the device has reset and is in setup mode. Go through the setup process like normal and your device should be back to working status.

    Update Your Alexa Amazon Echo

    Certain glitches or bugs can be unresolved in previous versions of the software. This can lead to your red light coming on without a reason.

    By upgrading your Alexa version, you will get rid of any technical problems to hopefully get rid of the red ring light. Here's how:

  • Open the Alexa app
  • Go to Settings
  • Select Device option > About
  • Choose the latest software version
  • Connecting Alexa to Wi-Fi

    If your internet connection is down or running slowly, Alexa will have trouble hearing your commands and may display the red light ring.

    Check your router for connection strength or try to visit a website on your phone to see how quickly it loads.

    Reset your router if you are having trouble to see if this is the reason for your Alexa red circle.

    Fixing the Alexa Red Circle

    If your Alexa device is showing a red ring light then it's likely your microphone has been turned off. You can simply turn them back on using the top of the device or factory reset it to get back to the original factory settings. But there are a number of other potential ways to fix the issue.

    If you're still using the regular Amazon Echo you may want to consider upgrading to the Amazon Echo Show to experience fewer problems.

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